Contemporary Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Beginnings

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A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinkable water, as well as for decorative purposes.

Pure practicality was the original role of fountains. Residents of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains had to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Until the late nineteenth, century most water fountains operated using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Roman fountains often depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini depictions of the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were glorified with baroque style fountains made to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.

Indoor plumbing became the key source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby limiting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. The creation of unique water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.

Modern fountains are used to adorn public spaces, honor individuals or events, and enrich recreational and entertainment events.

Archaic Greek Artwork: Outdoor Statuary

Archaic Greek Artwork: Outdoor Statuary Archaic Greeks were well known for creating the first freestanding statuary; up until then, most carvings were made out of walls and pillars as reliefs. Most of these freestanding sculptures were what is known as kouros figures, statues of young, attractive male or female (kore) Greeks. The kouroi, viewed as by the Greeks to exemplify beauty, had one foot stretched out of a fixed forward-facing pose and the male statues were always unclothed, with a compelling, strong physique. Life-sized versions of the kouroi appeared beginning in 650 BC. The Archaic period was tumultuous for the Greeks as they evolved into more sophisticated forms of government and art, and gained more information about the peoples and civilizations outside of Greece. Conflicts like The Arcadian wars, the Spartan invasion of Samos, and other wars among city-states are indicative of the tumultuous nature of the time period, which was similar to other periods of historical disturbance. However, these conflicts did not significantly hinder the advancement of the Greek civilization.